Marseille is one of the most polluted cities in Europe, a difficult situation experienced by many of its inhabitants and by the visitors who arrive at the St Charles station.

The picture is even more striking for motorists from the A7 who discover the massive pollution over the city.

The number of days when fine particle levels, nitrogen dioxide and ozone exceeds the satitaires thresholds makes it possible to classify Marseille 95th among the most polluted cities in the continent.

Sunshine and geography are in favor of this concentrations. Thanks to the mistral that comes hunt regularly.

The industry, port activity, airport or even wood heating are known as pollution sources. However, the first step of the podium was won handily by the car.

In Marseille, the car is king, and the ubiquitous traffic jams. Blame it on a network of public transport inefficient which does not encourage drivers (lazy) to abandon their cars. Which are mainly diesel (75% of the park), generating a maximum fine particles and NO2 as was dramatically highlighted by the cheating Volkwagen.

To live daily, it can quickly become a hell. The slightest movement to drop their children to school, buy bread or go to work exposes you to enormous emissions. Travelling by bike or waiting at a red light are acts that hurt us. Imagine your baby in his stroller, just the right height to attack a max in the lungs (especially since many people turn off their particulate filter to prevent engine failure).

And this is hardly avoidable, Marseille has its choke points that concentrate the pollutions. The city center is black of tar. To see the condition of some facades, it is not hard to immagine how suffer the people who live behind. Are they aware of the health risks? Do they have a choice?

After a full day, Marseille without cars finally becomes the city we love.

We can dream of a city without pollution, a city where we don't loose 9 months of life expectancy.

Today, cars in the city are just a crime, which we all participate ... Who does it benefit?

After the Volkswagen scandal, hypocrisy of automakers and industrial oil is no longer tenable. In France, the advantageous tax on diesel has no reason for being. We need anyway stake everything on renewable energy.

Marseille is of course not an exception, but is it really so naive to think we could quickly change the situation? Prohibit the car in the city center, is it really a utopia?

In Marseille, what solutions to meet the health emergency? - A motorway and ring roads around the city (L2 in 2017?) - Large car park relay served by public transport fast and efficient (car parks on the outskirts of the city, not Vinci car parks in the center to 34 € per day) - Give its place to bike, encourage aid for the purchase for individuals as does MPM on electric bicycles - Electric taxis and rickshaws in large numbers, financially accessible, which would also create jobs.

In other words, nothing revolutionary.

Why couldn't we organize in Marseile all the things that Strasbourg has implemented?

In one of the richest areas of the world, can we find the budgets to invest heavily in this direction?